Six candiates seek to replace LaMalfa Senate seat

SACRAMENTO -- Two Chicoans are among six candidates seeking to capture Doug LaMalfa's vacant 4th District state Senate seat.

Dan Levine, a Chico State University graduate student majoring in political science, has joined the race.

Last week, Jann Reed, a member of the Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees, filed to run in the special election.

A third Butte County resident, Mickey Harrington of Magalia, is in the running, also.

They were among six people whose names appeared on a "certified" list of candidates posted on the California Secretary of State's website Monday evening. It names all the candidates who will appear on the ballot.

The other three candidates are:

* Benjamin "Ben" Emery of Nevada City. He listed himself as a ranch manager and did not state a party preference.

* Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Loma Rica. He listed himself as a small business owner.

* Jim Nielsen, a former Republican Assemblyman from Gerber. He listed himself as a rancher and independent businessman.

Reed and Levine did not list party preferences. On the certified list, Levine is identified as a "graduate student and rancher." Harrington, who identified himself as a labor council president, is a Democrat.

The special election became necessary when LaMalfa, who is running for Congress, resigned from the Senate on Aug. 31.

Gov. Brown consolidated the special election with the Nov. 6 general election.

In the special election, if one candidate gets more than 50 percent of the votes, that candidate will become the 4th District state senator.

Otherwise, the first- and second-place finishers will face a runoff election on Jan. 8., a Secretary of State's office spokeswoman said.

The Enterprise-Record left phone messages for Emery, but he didn't return the call before deadline Monday.

In a phone interview, Levine said he decided to enter the Senate race "to give voters more choices."

Other motivations, he said, were LaMalfa's resignation, which some have characterized as a strategic move to help Nielsen succeed him, and dealings he had with LaMalfa's staff. He said he got the feeling from staff members that they were only talking to him because they had to, not because they wanted to hear from him.

Levine, 27, said he moved to Chico nearly three years ago from New Jersey, where he grew up.

He said he doesn't want California to make some of the same mistakes that New Jersey has made. His native state has polluted waterways and has lost much of its rural land to suburban sprawl, he said.

He said he would like to rein in state spending, make sure public education at all levels is adequately funded and ensure that medical marijuana is readily available to those who need it. Ultimately, he'd like to see marijuana legalized, he said.

He added he's a strong believer in "environmental sustainability."

Levine said he and his father have bought some land near Concow, where they intend to grow apples and grapes.